Fertility preservation in adolescent males: experience over 22 years at Rouen University Hospital.
BACKGROUND
Sperm banking is a suitable procedure to prevent infertility after cancer therapy in male adolescents. We evaluated the feasibility of semen preservation in 156 adolescents aged between 13 and 20 years and then we assessed fertility outcome after treatment.


METHODS
Age, urogenital history, indications for cryopreservation, histological diagnosis and semen parameters were recorded. Fertility status after treatment was assessed by a questionnaire addressed to those patients who had utilized sperm storage. Post-treatment semen analysis was performed for 22 patients.


RESULTS
Cryopreservation was possible in 88.5% of cases. Azoospermia was detected in 2.6% of the patients at the time of diagnosis. Malignant disease accounted for 84% of our male adolescents. In this type of disease, semen parameters were significantly altered only among patients with metastatic malignant bone tumour. After treatment, nine patients presented azoospermia, five patients achieved pregnancy spontaneously, two achieved it after assisted reproductive technique using fresh ejaculated spermatozoa and one following sperm donation. Three failed with cryopreserved sperm.


CONCLUSIONS
Semen cryopreservation is possible for most adolescents and, regardless of disease type, may be a means of preserving fertility prior to gonadotoxic treatment that might impair the spermatogenesis process.
Menon
S
S
Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction-CECOS, Groupe de recherche EA 4308 'Spermatogenesis and Male Gamete Quality, Rouen University Hospital, 76031 Rouen cedex, France.
Rives
N
N
Mousset-Siméon
N
N
Sibert
L
L
Vannier
J P
JP
Mazurier
S
S
Massé
L
L
Duchesne
V
V
Macé
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005298:Fertility; D005602:France; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012662:Semen Preservation; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology; D055815:Young Adult